Intellectual coward. Unwilling to tolerate dissent. Incapable of identifying facts. Blinded by grief. And a paid shill, to boot. I am unquestionably sorry for the loss she has suffered, but using that emotion as a springboard to abridge and infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens is simply wrong, no matter how poignant it might be. But, given that she is on the Brady Bunch board, she has so much of her identity wrapped up in her cause, she is never going to be willing to admit it...

Media Matters published a fascinating article about the reaction to this interview by the conservative media. To support their idea that Fox News and the others distorted the intentions of the Imam's words, they provided several examples of laughably hysterical quotes and headlines.

I thought the remarks by Imam Feisal were thoughtful and reasonable. I didn't sense any dissembling or deceit in him.

Friday, September 10, 2010

The Brady Campaign published an informative article about the latest attempts on the part of the NRA to increase gun availability. On September 21st the Senate will hold a hearing on the "Reform and Modernization Act" for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) (H.R. 2296 and S.R. 941).

Here's the Brady take on the legislation. It would...

1. Cripple the ATF’s ability to shut down crooked gun dealers. Before the ATF could revoke a crooked dealer’s license and put him out of business, ATF would have to show that the dealer not only violated the law, but had the specific intent to break the specific law. This is an almost impossible standard of proof for law enforcement to meet.

2. Prohibit ATF from revoking licenses of gun dealers who commit many dangerous crimes, for instance, allowing hundreds of guns to “disappear” from their inventory with no record of sale.

3. Cap fines at extremely low levels for violations found during an inspection of a gun dealer. For example, a dealer with 900 federal gun law violations could face a maximum fine of less than $8.50 per violation.

4. Allow most dealers who violate gun laws to continue selling guns for 60 days after their licenses are revoked, even if they had committed willful violations of federal law.

Who in their right mind would want these four things? You would have to be gun-biased to the point of mental illness to think these four results would be good for the country.

Why do law-abiding gun owners so often support obviously bad policies?

I realize people are going to accuse me of being soft on the police, but I have to say this sounds like a legitimate shoot. When the story says a guy "lunged" at the police with a knife, I don't like it. But this:

Armando Aponte, 35, died from gunshots wounds when two police officers shot him as he charged them with swords raised in each hand.

Now, I hope you're satisfied. It's not bad enough that any crackpot male loser who feels like it, can shoot up the joint, now you've got the women doing it. (Does anyone not know to whom I'm addressing this?)

Mass shootings are rarely carried out by women, said Dr. Park Dietz, president of Threat Assessment Group Inc., a Newport Beach, Calif.-based violence prevention firm.

Thanks doc for confirming what we already knew.

What's your opinion? Is this the future of gun violence in the U.S.? When are the short-sighted folks who want to arm everybody going to start singing a different tune?

The Huffington Post published an article by Dennis A. Henigan reminding progressives that it's our Constitution too. He referred to what he called "Firearms Freedom" laws, the ones I said were in the process of being "slapped down."

There is little doubt that the federal courts will make mincemeat of these "Firearms Freedom" laws. The first ruling came down last week, as a federal magistrate judge in Montana struck down that state's law. Agreeing with the Brady Center's brief, the judge found the law flatly unconstitutional under decades-old Supreme Court precedent recognizing federal authority to regulate entirely intrastate activity if exempting that activity would undercut federal regulation of interstate activity.

Jones said he has received more than 100 death threats and has started wearing a .40-caliber pistol strapped to his hip since announcing his plan to burn the book Muslims consider the word of God and insist be treated with the utmost respect. The 58-year-old minister proclaimed in July that he would stage "International Burn-a-Quran Day."

Who knew gunloons were champions of the LGB&T community? I surely didn't.

Thanks to Sevesteen, using the latest, most scientific-est methodologies available to men (presumably, hetero- and homosexual), we learn:

So bigoted, right wing gun nuts are doing more than gay-oriented bloggers to spread the word about a particular incident of anti-gay bigotry.

Now, I can't claim to use the super-complicated, mystic arts of research employed by Sevesteen. But I'd suggest the following: take a look at the records of politicians with "A" ratings or better from the NRA. Then take a look at their records on gay issues. Who knows, we might learn something.

To all who are reading my posts: Mike W. has posted 6 of the most offensive and inane comments yet received by me on this blog. I will no longer post his comments but I will keep them in my files as an example of how rude and perjorative some of the gun guys get while trying to intimidate people about the gun issue. If any elected leader wants to know why they should not believe what they hear from the NRA, Mike is a prime example of the type of hyperbolic rhetoric that should not be considered valid in this "discussion".

Of course some will say he can't be expected to know who's a convicted felon when he's trying to make a private sale to the man at a gun show. He's not a mind reader. And having those restricted weapons at home, although in violation of certain overly-restrictive laws, is not really criminal.

I'll bet a lot of lawful guys would like to get their hands on a real machine gun and a 61 mm mortar.

What's your opinion? Does owning one of these restricted weapons make one a criminal? Isn't it possible to be law abiding person but break some of the rules along the way? Isn't this what is meant by the gray area?

Freep.com reports on the latest murder - suicide incident. As unbelievable as it may seem, it was the man who did the shooting, he had no prior criminal record and it was over a marital/domestic problem.

Here's the interesting part:

The Moores are the fourth metro Detroit couple in the past month involved in attempted murder-suicides. On Aug. 18 in West Bloomfield, Ellery Bennett, 47, stabbed his wife, Lisa, 46, before apparently stabbing himself and driving to the hospital.

On Aug. 22., Daljit Rangi, 65, of Lake Orion, stabbed his wife, Rosemary, 56, before setting his home on fire, and dying inside. She survived. In Westland, on Aug. 30, Lutfi Dashi,59, killed himself after shooting his wife, Ermira, 50. She died of her wounds in the hospital.

Now, don't go jumping to the conclusion that half of these incidents involve knives. Serious maniacs use guns, we all know this. But please take note of the higher survival rate among the knife victims.

Another thing is the frequency of these stories. I appreciate what Jadegold said about road rage shootings being a daily happening anymore, but these murder/suicides seem to be just as frequent.

What's your opinion? Do you think increased gun availability, which the pro gun folks so desperately want, would have a positive impact on domestic murder/suicide?

ABC reports on the percentage of guns used in the Mexican Drug Wars which are estimated to have come from the U.S.

A shocking new report obtained by ABC News says that as many as three out of four guns used in crimes in Mexico can be traced to gun stores just across the border in the U.S. The numbers bolster complaints by Mexican officials that the country's unprecedented bloodshed – 28,000 people have died in drug-cartel violence since 2006 – is being fueled both by the U.S. appetite for drugs, and by American weapons.

I don't know what's new or shocking about that, in fact they used to say 90%, so I guess if they wanted to they could spin this as progress.

Getting away from the percentage for a moment, what do you think about the idea that the bloodshed in Mexico "is being fueled both by the U.S. appetite for drugs, and by American weapons?" Isn't that a fair way to say it?

Keene's father, besides being chairman of the ACU, is also on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association, which said the group's thoughts and prayers go out to the Keene family, according to NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam.

Just another example that the NRA will support criminal behavior if 1.) you commit it with a gun; and 2.) you're white.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

ONLY ABOUT 10 percent of the nation's 100,000 licensed gun dealers are audited each year by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The ATF cannot fine wayward dealers; its only tool at the moment involves revoking a miscreant's license. And that happens only about 100 times annually.

But even this level of scrutiny rankles the National Rifle Association, which is pushing for legislation that threatens to gut the ATF's already limited ability to keep illegal guns off the streets.

CNN, as if in response to my observations the other day that too few Louisiana gun stories are reported, reports on a terrible shooting which took place in New Orleans.

It could have been road rage, or a drug or gang related thing. The shooter could have been a lawful gun owner with a CCW license, but somehow I doubt it. This one we'll have to blame on gun flow and you know whose fault that is.

It was a crime of passion; nobody saw it coming. Of course the 10% theory covers this as well as the guns-and-women post. But the main thing I keep thinking is if we didn't have so many legitimate gun owners out there we wouldn't have so many legitimate gun owners on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Monday, September 6, 2010

HELENA, Mont. — A group of states seeking freedom from federal gun laws were dealt a blow Wednesday when a federal magistrate recommended dismissal of a lawsuit launched by gun rights advocates who argue Congress has overstepped its bounds with gun control.

The magistrate sided with the U.S. Department of Justice, which says courts have already decided that Congress can set standards on such items as guns through its power to regulate interstate commerce. The recommendation now goes to the federal judge in Missoula hearing the case — and even gun rights advocates recognized it is likely he will side with the magistrate.

According to the Traill County Sheriff’s Office, Payton was shot by a 16-year-old boy from Grandin who thought the shotgun wasn’t loaded. Sheriff Mike Crocker said Friday the shotgun round passed through a soda bottle Payton was holding, which Crocker said may have saved the boy’s life.

Payton had part of his small intestine removed, and a skin grafting surgery is planned to repair two injured fingers on his left hand, the journal states.

Crocker said the shooting appeared to be an accident.

The alleged shooter was taken to juvenile detention in Fargo and is expected to face charges of felony reckless endangerment and minor in consumption.

I'm not sure what that last bit means, "minor in consumption." Maybe the shooter was drinking even though young Payton was holding a soft drink when he was shot. In any case, what's the deal here about responsibility for the gun? Are teenage boys considered old enough to own and use shotguns as if they were adults? Or is adult supervision supposed to be in place in a case like this? Wouldn't the owner of the home where the incident took place have to answer for this?

How can we predict that, they ask. How could it be prevented? It's not rocket science to conclude that fewer guns would have an immediate impact on these spontaneous incidents, the crimes of passion and many of the suicides.

Federal prosecutors are charging a licensed Modesto gun dealer with making illegal sales of arms to agents posing as Mexican nationals.

Robert John Ronning owns Ronning Arms Inc. He was arrested Thursday in connection to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation that began in February 2009 and led to the seizure of drugs and weapons, some of them from Ronning Arms.

After the arrest of the initial targets, undercover agents bought silencers, assault weapons and a machine gun from Ronning himself.

What's rare is not the fact that an FFL guy was doing this, but that the ATF got their act together enough to catch him.

And what about the business? You can't let a gold mine like a gun shop go belly up just because the owner and some of the employees where doing some dirty business. You need to find a close friend or relative to take it over, that's what they do in Wisconsin and Washington state anyway.

What's your opinion? Are unscrupulous FFL guys one of the main sources of guns in the criminal world? Aren't they often the last legitimate owner of a particular gun used in crime or found in Mexico?